Electrical vibrator device



March 16, 1943. A. D. Bum 2,313,919

ELECTRICAL VIBRATCR DEVICE Filed Feb. s,v 1959 l; 1 G. j. HHM/931g.' was VIWIIIII 6 l, #sz/PPoH'r 7 1Go Z' l v 12 SILT;V 13

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v '33 l l l '34 a5 npentor Alexander D. B11/rt Gttorgteg Patented Mar. 16, 1943 ELECTRICAL visitaron DEVICE Alexander D. Burt, Haddon Heights, J., assignor t'o tion of Delaware Radio Corporation of America, a corpora- Application February 9, 1939, Serial No.- 255,396

3 Claims. (Cl. Zim-90) The present invention relates to an electrical vibrator device adapted generally for converting current for radio power supply and the like.

Vibrator devices of this type are well known in connection with radio receivers and like apparatus, particularly for use in automobiles and locali-- ties where the power supply is limited to a low` voltage battery, and may comprise a suitable electromagnetic actuating means for a vibratory armature carrying contacts for interrupting the' current supply and rectifying the secondary voltage in connection with a power supply transformer.

It is an object of the present invention -to provide an electrical vibrator device of the type referred to, having an improved construction vlow voltage direct current into high voltage direct l f. cartridges which are replaceable in the unit as required.

The problem of reducing the sizeof the apparatus required is met by increasing the irequency of the vibrator operation whereby the operating frequency is increased and such a frequency is chosen that will allow a relatively small power transformer and audio lfilter to be em ployed in connection with the vibrator device. At

adapted for operation under varying conditions and applications.

It is also an object of the present invention to e provide an improved vibrator unit which permits rectification of relatively high voltages and relatively high power without increasing the rate-.of contact deterioration'.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved electrical vibrator unit which is adapted for use in aircraft, and the like, for operation at varying altitudes without being subject to violent sparking and other disadvantages Which become apparent ordinarily at higher altitudes becauseof the reduced air pressure.

It is also a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical vibrator system which permits the use of a relatively small power transformer in connection therewith and a relatively small and lowcost electric lter for the electrical output therefrom.

To prevent contact deterioration, the entire unit may be mounted in a vacuum'so that there may be no gas to-ionize at the contacts, or the unit may be enclosed in a casing containing gas under pressure', that is, above atmospheric pressure. whereby the power handling contacts may be operated at higher voltages without increasing the air-gap between the contacts beyond a certain limit. at which the width of the air-gap begins to interfere seriously with theoperation of the device.

However, in accordance with the invention the vibrair contacts are enclosed with vacuum or pressure chambers in pairs to prevent contact arcing and deterioration and at the same time to eliminate the necessity for enclosing the entire device within a sealed chamber. This also permits the removal ol' the contacts in the form the high frequency the mechanical gap between the various contacts maybe relatively small even when the voltage across a given gap is increased to a relatively high value.

With-v the contacts enclosed, the problem of varying altitude and external air pressure is obvlated and by utilizing an inert gas under pressure in each contact chamber the problem of heat conduction and arcing at the contacts is reduced.

The invention will be further understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, y Figure 1 is a'schematic view in elevation with certain parts in cross section and on an enlarged scale, 0f an electrical vibrator device embodying f-the invention,

Figure 2 is a top view of the device of Fig. 1 provided with a schematic circuit diagram show ing connection for the contacts with a power transformer, and A l kFigure 3 is a view in cross section and on an enlarged scale of a modification of the contact elements of the device of Figs. 1 and 2. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 5 is a vibratory fiat spring armature element xedly mounted at one end 6 and havinga suitable armature shoe 1 at the opposite end thereof. and is caused to vibrate between positions 8 and 9, shown dotted lines.

The actuating means for'l vibrator devices of this type are well known land usually comprise electromagnetic means for influencing the armature shoe and a contact element for intermittently energizing the electromagnetic means. Accordingly, the actuating means per se which may be of any suitable type, has been omitted for the reason that it does not form part of the present invention.

It is essential that the ar/mature element be relatively short and have a relatively highV frequency or short period of vibration. For example, 500 to 2000 cycles per second may be suitable and in comparison with the present known sealed.

vibrator devices having a frequency of the order of 60 to 100 cycles per second, the frequencies referred to are relatively high.

The armature element is arranged to actuate the contacts of the vibrator device and any sultable number of contacts may be employed in connection therewith. Inthe present example four sets of contacts are shown. These a're provided in sealed cartridges 'indicated at IB, II, I2 and i3 and are preferably individually releasably mounted in suitable sockets or retaining members I4 positioned to hold the contact cartridges in spaced relation to the armature element on opposite sides thereof as shown. The contacts may thus be removed and replaced as a unit when renewal is necessary.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cartridges are tubular and arranged as shown, substantially coaxially in pairs on opposite sides of the armature element and with the inner ends presented toward the armature element sealed by flexiblediaphragms I5 each carrying .a movable l contact element i6 on the inner face and engaging on the outer face with an actuating fingeri'i of flexible spring material secured at one end to the armature as indicated at I8. The contact cartridges areeach provided with an interior chamber I9 containing an inert gas such as nitrogen under pressure and is sealed at the rear or outer end by an insulating plug which may be of glass or other suitable insulating material having a central opening in which an electrical terminalmemb'er 2l for a xed contact 22 is The contact 22 is positioned adjacent to the contact IS and the latter is moved into engagement with the contact 22 by action ofthe arma`- ture applying pressure through the nger I'I as the armature moves in the direction of the contact cartridge.

The diaphragm I5 while providing a seal for the pressure chamber, is exible and permits the contact action to take place and at the same time supplies the retracting force for separating the contacts.

The ngers I1 are preferably in the form of flexible at springs which exert a suiiicient `pressure when the armature is in a position of equilibrium to balance the force of the gas pressure within the chambers and to cause the diaphragm and the c ontacts to maintain a normal unflexed position, as shown.

'The electrical circuit provided in connection with the four pairs of contacts provided in the vibrator device of the present example, may be arranged for high voltage power supply for radio apparatus from a low voltage supply as illustrated in Fig. 2, to which attention is now more particularly directed.

Referring to Fig. 2, the armature element carrying the shoe -7, is preferably grounded, as indicated at 25, and eachfof the four inner insulated contacts are connected with a power transformer 26 to interrupt the primary current and to rectify the secondary voltage. l

For this purpose the outer terminals of the primary winding 21 are connected with the fixed, contacts of the contact cartridges ID and II as shown and the primary center tap 28 is connected to the low voltage battery source represented at 29. The latter may be a six-'volt storage battery.'

for example, and isoonnected at the opposite terminal to ground, as indicated at 30, whereby the flexible diaphragms of the cartridges I0 and II, the connection between the armature and the diaphragms being completed through the flexible spring members I1.

As the armature vibrates'each half of the primary winding 21 is energized alternately with the other half from the power source 29 and causes an alternating voltage to be set up across the secondary 3l,

The secondary alternating current voltage is rectified by the contact elements I2 and I3 which are connected with the secondary terminals as shown. The secondary center tap 32 is connected with the high voltage output circuit 33. A lter choke coil 3| is provided between the circuit 33 and the center tap 32 and suitable filter capacitors 35 are also vprovided in a conventional filter. However, because of the relatively high frequency, the lter capacitors 35 may' be of the order of one microfarad as compared with the usual capacity of from l0 to 20 microfarads ordinarily provided in circuits of the type armature and the contact elementsv carried by shown. v

The contact cartridges may be made in any suitable form, for example, a form of cartridge may be provided as shown in Fig. 3, to which attention is now directed, wherein the diaphragm I5 is welded to the casing I0 at one end thereof as in the embodiment shown in Figs. l and2, while the rear end of the casing is closed by a glass envelope 38. The envelope is sealed about the terminal connection 2 I and an inner sleeve lor cup 39 is provided for receiving a screwthreaded shank 4I) for the inner contactl 22, whereby the air-gap may be adjusted in production and set to an exact value. The chamber of the cartridge may be evacuated or may be filled with air or gas under pressure. Preferably a gas under pressure is utilized for the reason that heat conduction is improved and oxidation of the contacts is prevented in the same manner as it would be in the vacuum. Furthermore, for aircraft operation the varying air pressure does not appreciably change the gap adjustment and does not in any way increase the sparking as with open contacts.

With an inert gas such as nitrogen under pressure, the mechanical gap between the contacts may be made relatively small as is necessary for a high frequency vibrator, while at the same time the output voltage is not limited .by the air gap since a gap which ordinarily would break down at a predetermined voltage in air will break down at a much higher voltage with an inert gas unfor synchronous multiple circuit current interruption, comprising in combination, a spring armature element fxedly mounted at one end and proportioned to vibrate at the opposite free end with a short period, tubular contact cartridges mounted substantially coaxially inpairs on opposite sides of the armature element and containing inert gas under pressure, spring actuat. ling members carried by the armature, one for each contact cartridge, a diaphragm at one end of each cartridge engaged and operated, and held substantially unflexed when said armature is at rest in a position of equilibrium, by one of said spring actuating members, said spring members exerting suicient pressure on said diaphragms to substantially balance the pressure exerted by said gas, and contacts sealed in said cartridges in pairs and operatively responsive to movement of the diaphragm.

2. A high lfrequency vibratory contact device for synchronous multiple circuit current interruption, comprising in combination, a spring armature element iixedly mounted at one end and proportioned to vibrate at the opposite free endI 'spring actuating members, said spring member exerting suiiicient pressure to substantially balance that exerted on said diaphragm by said gas,

operatively responsive to movement of the diaphragm, means for engaging and holding the ,contacts sealed in said cartridges in pairs and contact cartridges atA one end, means for insulating one of Aeach pair of contacts from the armature element and cartridge casing, and means including the spring members for connecting the other of .said contacts in each pair to the armature.

3. A high frequency vibratory contact device for circuit current interruption, comprising in combination, a. pair of contacts for interrupting current, means providing an individual sealed casing for each of said contacts and containing inert gas under pressure, each of said casings having a flexible wall connected with one of said contacts within the casing, means for detachably mounting said casings in .opposed spaced relation to each other, and a high frequency vibratory armature having exible spring elements carried by the armature, one for each of said contacts, each of said spring elements bearing against the iiexible wall of each of said casings for actuating said contacts, said spring elements exerting a pressure againstl said walls suicient to balance the gas pressure exerted upon said Walls when said armature isin a position ot 25 equilibrium.

ALEXANDER D. BUR'I.` 

